THULAMAHASHE, Mpumalanga — The South African Communist Party (SACP) is actively mobilizing for the upcoming SACP local government elections, promising voters a strict commitment to running corruption-free municipalities if given the mandate to govern. Speaking at a Red October Rally in Thulamahashe, Bushbuckridge, SACP General Secretary Solly Mapaila outlined the party’s grassroots strategy, emphasizing that the organization has worked extensively on the ground to ensure a strong showing across multiple municipalities.
Mapaila stated that the party’s foundational approach is to submit to the will of the people, respecting and working directly with them. To execute this vision, the SACP has launched its “People’s Red Caravan” nationwide. Mapaila highlighted Bushbuckridge as a leading district, noting it has already hosted two district-level caravans. These initiatives are designed to uplift living standards and foster community self-reliance, empowering residents to create their own economic opportunities rather than seeking employment elsewhere.
When addressing the caliber of the SACP’s council candidates, the General Secretary emphasized that the party is fielding selfless leaders driven by community ideas rather than self-interest. A primary mandate for these candidates is to consult with residents and tackle the pressing crisis of food insecurity. Mapaila criticized the current reality of hunger in a resource-rich nation, noting that while government social grants are important interventions, they are insufficient on their own. He stressed that true leadership requires planning and working with the people to overcome poverty.
Addressing the SACP’s decision to contest independently for state power, Mapaila argued this political shift should have occurred much earlier. He referenced a 1993 warning from the party’s central committee regarding the dangers of deviating from the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) in favor of neoliberalism. Mapaila described modern capitalism as a system that punishes the poor and concentrates wealth within a private sector minority, necessitating the SACP’s independent political stance to protect the working class.
The General Secretary also addressed the severe challenges and dangers faced by the party’s grassroots organizers. He revealed that a local comrade has faced direct threats within the community, and noted the recent tragic loss of another comrade who was killed in the Eastern Cape.
Despite these threats and odds, Mapaila affirmed that the party will not be deterred from its mission to achieve full national independence. He characterized South Africa’s current political state as “democracy without independence,” arguing that legal rights to movement mean little if citizens remain economically impoverished. To achieve meaningful freedom, Mapaila concluded, the country must democratize its economy, making it people-owned, mass-owned, and public-owned.
